Comic Classics: Treasure Island (Comic Classics)

Comic Classics: Treasure Island (Comic Classics)

By Author / Illustrator

Jack Noel

Genre

Adventure

Age range(s)

9+

Publisher

HarperCollins Publishers

ISBN

9781405294065

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

07-01-2021

Synopsis

OLD books get NEW doodles - it's the classics as you've never seen them before!


A hilarious new series that brings the classics to life with illustrations by Jack Noel. Perfect for 7-9 year olds and fans of Tom Gates, Wimpy Kid and Dav Pilkey. And PIRATES.


Get your HOOKS into the one and only original pirate adventure!


Jim Hawkins spends his life helping out at his mum's boring old inn by the sea, wishing he could sail away and have adventures. But when an old sea captain turns up with a secret, it's the start of a bigger adventure than Jim could ever have imagined - soon he's on a ship on the trail of buried treasure, accompanied by a suspicious sailor named Long John Silver ... Will Jim escape the pirates? Or will he walk the plank?


Climb aboard with Jim, a chatty parrot and a bunch of crazy pirates for a hilarious adventure across the seven seas.


Look out for more COMIC CLASSICS:


GREAT EXPECTATIONS:
Join Pip in a rip-roaring story of family secrets, scary grannies and a REALLY annoying big sister.


Get on the trail of THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES
Solve the case with Holmes and Watson in a thrilling tale of mystery, murder and things that go woof in the night.


Praise for GREAT EXPECTATIONS:
A funny, thought-provoking treat, it's the ideal way into [Dickens] (Imogen Russell Williams Guardian)


Buy a copy of Jack Noel's retelling of Great Expectations before I set the dogs on you. Now, begone! (Philip Ardagh, Roald Dahl Funny Prize-winning author)


It is BRILLIANT! (Jenny Pearson, author of The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates)


Jack Noel's brilliantly witty art perfectly complements Dickens' Great Expectations, making this a fab KS2 text to sit alongside the classic. Brilliant for dyslexic kids who may struggle with Dickens' prose ... this book could bring a generation of kids to the classics (Abi Elphinstone, author of Rumblestar, Sky Song and the Dreamsnatcher trilogy)


Jack Noel is a Jack of three trades: author, illustrator, designer, who works mainly on children's books and is a co-host on the Down the Rabbit Hole children's books podcast. Once upon a time Jack sent this tweet, and rest is history (history with doodles): https://twitter.com/jackdraws/status/965492074157166592
https://jacknoelillustration.tumblr.com

Reviews

Louisa

The original version of Treasure Island is the classic adventure story of bloodthirsty pirates, a secret map and buried treasure. It's the source of all the best pirate catchphrases and the classic image of a buccaneer with a wooden leg and a talking parrot.

This version, ingeniously reimagined by Jack Noel, is a little different. The witty pictures and graphics contribute an element of informal humour that adds a whole new dimension to the story of Jim Hawkins and his voyage to Treasure Island on the Hispaniola. Smartly produced in black and blue, this has the friendly feel of a comic book. It's genuinely funny: the story is mined for exaggerated comical episodes that are interpreted through Jack Noel's inventive 'doodles'.

Some of the long stretches of prose are shortened or replaced by graphics but the words themselves, by and large, use the wonderfully rich and vivid language of Robert Louis Stevenson. With the scaffold of short explanations and diagrams to accompany them, this is made easily accessible.

I enjoyed the story but I also loved these factual snippets. A picture at the start to explain all those specific sailing terms like poop deck and mizzen mast - perfect! And the biographical information at the end - about real-life pirates and Robert Louis Stevenson - was engaging and added to the story. It would also introduce children to reading in a different, related genre.

I definitely want this for our school library and book corners in Year 4, 5 and 6. I can see it appealing to a range of children but I would only use it as a class read if every child could have a copy: it's the 'doodles' - but they really are so much more than doodles - that are the heart of the book.

240 pages / Reviewed by Louisa Farrow, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 9+

Sam

Anyone who knows anything about children's fiction will recognise authors such as Tom Gates and Jeff Kinney, and the appeal their books have for young and often less enthusiastic readers. Well this abridged version of Treasure Island by Lucy Courtenay and illustrated by Jack Noel has a similar feel. It's a creative mix of comic illustrations, speech bubble exclamations and giggle worthy footnotes give this 100 year old classic an up-to-date twist, popular in many other modern tales.

This version of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island is part of a series of books called Comic Classics, retelling classic stories in a way that modern audiences will find easy to relate to.

Even though the story of Treasure Island might not be the most imaginative, this version by Jack Noel is a great way to introduce classic stories to a new generation. It's short readable chapters use Stevenson's language and is brought right up to date with the addition of black and blue cartoon drawings and comic book style 'asides', that inject humour into this classic.

As a class reader in school the potential for discussion with this book is 'bountiful'. (Sorry, couldn't pass up the chance of using a suitable pirate word.) By maintaining some of the original language the use of high quality vocabulary and expressions can be explored. Some terms Noel explains with his comic asides, others require digging a little deeper to ensure full understanding and meaning. However, this does not detract from the enjoyment of the read one bit, making it just as suitable as an independent read.

This fast-paced re-telling of Robert Stevenson's swashbuckling adventure will undoubtedly make an enjoyable not to mention accessible read for any young reader.

240 pages / Ages 8+ / Reviewed by Sam Phillips, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 9+

 

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